BBB details Door to Door Sales Caveats.

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The BBB has some great guidelines when buying meat from a Door-to-Door salesman. Keep these in mind the next time a vendor comes to your door.

Before buying meat and poultry in quantity from a door-to-door dealer, become familiar with the company and the dealer. Ask for literature and take plenty of time to read it. Reputable companies will have a local sales office with a published price list that includes the address and phone number of the company.

Ask to see verification of a city or county license that is current and provides permission for the company to sell door to door. In the city of Huntsville, any company selling products or services through door-to-door solicitations must register with the city and obtain a solicitations license and special identification badges for all salespersons.

Check the product for grading and inspection information. Know the difference between meat grading and meat inspection. Inspection of meat and poultry by the U S D A is mandatory, grading is not. Companies must pay to have their meat graded. Common grades include prime choice, select, standard, and commercial for beef and grade A or lower for poultry. Be wary of the terms "restaurant quality" or "restaurant style." These descriptions have nothing to do with the quality of the meat.

Understand the different cuts of meats. Know which cuts of meat or poultry you are buying. Check with the label for proper identification for the cut of meat or poultry you are buying.

Be wary of anyone who sells meat to you in terms of "portions." Your definition of a portion could vary greatly from the seller's definition, which could mean that you will receive much less meat than anticipated for your money.

Beware of any dealer who wants you to purchase bulk quantities of meat and poultry that are not properly labeled. U S D A and state inspected products are required to give information about the product on the label.

On raw products, the species, the cut, the net weight, the ingredients statement are required.

Pay only with a check made out to the company, not an individual. NEVER pay with cash! If you decide you don't want to purchase the product, the Federal Trade Commission Cooling-Off Rule gives you three days to cancel purchases over $25 that are made in your home or at a location that is not the permanent place of business or local address of the seller.

Contact your BBB for a reliability report on the company.

If you have any questions, want more information or have had a bad experience with door-to-door vendors, please call the BBB at (256) 850-0719 or toll-free at
(866) 94-BBB19.